Firing mechanism



June-24, 1947. HUBALEKv 2,422,900

' FIRING MECHANISM Filed July 4, 1945 Patented June 24, 1947 FIRINGMECHANISM -iArthurz'flubalek, Brooklyn; NZLY.

ApplicationJ'uly d, 1945; Srial'fNoTBlliiQ223 l I GIaim.

1 The invention here disclosed relates to firing mechanisms-forlinethrowing; guns and the like andis in the nature of an. improvement onthe 'invention' disclosed in coperiding' patent application Serial No.538,611, filed'June 3,"1944, now- Patent N05 2,3B9;928,: whichis-suedzMay '7, 1946.

Indevices of the type disclosed in the copend- Hing patent applicationthe'lfin'ngof signal-guns, Lline' throwing guns and'thilike-isaccomplished Lby detonating a blank cartridge-into thepowderllchargeiofthe gun; this cartridgebeingseatd in a'i'char'nber-w'hich isclosed byascrew cap'carrlying 1a' firing pm.

In previous constructions the arrangement has been such that the springfor impelling the firing pin normally holds the pin in a projectingrelation so that when the cap or breech plug member is screwed in placethe point of the pin will ride the percussion cap of the cartridge.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a construction in whichthe firing pin will be held retracted and engage the cap only at theinstant of firing.

Related objects are to provide a construction of this character whichwill not complicate the mechanism to any appreciable extent and whichwill not interfere in any way with its certainty of operation.

Other desirable objects and the novel features by which the purposes ofthe invention are attained are set forth or will appear in the course ofthe following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrates a present practical embodiment of the invention. Structure,however, may be modified and changed as regards such illustration, allwithin the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafterdefined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a broken sectional view of firing mechanismembodying the invention and showing the parts in the cooked relation,ready for firing;

Fig. 2 is a. similar view showing in full lines the parts after firing,or what may be considered the uncocked condition and indicating inbroken lines the instantaneous firing position of the parts.

In the drawing the breech portion of a line throwing gun is indicated at5, provided with a screw threaded opening 6 receiving thecorrespondingly screw threaded shank portion 1 of the tubular plug 8.

This plug or body portion of the device is provided with a. cartridgechamber 9 in the outer end of the same.

1.2 .The cartridge chamber isiclosedbyfiacap or rc'over I 0; screw'ithreaded' "at I I OVGI 'thB'f' 'o'uter -cartridge: chamber po'rtioni ofthe j plug. This "screwcap'has" aw'all dz'engaging over'the head fof thecartridge I 3andserving toclose'the car- ?'The"wall".l 2"has ag-pa'ssageI l" therethrough .freely receiving the firing pin 15.

Back of the smaller endportion' l5, 'thefiring pin is enlarged i'nto' a'cy1in'dric'al 'stem-iort'sh'ahk 1 6 slidingly' operating throughafguideplugi l l screwedin'the outer'end-bfthe' tubular chamber formingextension 18 of the 'bre'e'chcap I9,

Within the cylindrical chamber l9 provided by the extension IS, the stemof the firing pin carries an annular abutment shoulder 20.

Forward of this annular shoulder and confined between said shoulder andthe face of the wall l2 closing the inner end of the cylindricalchamber, is a relatively short, stiff and strong coil spring 2|.

Back of the annular abutment 20 and confined floetween that element andthe abutment I'I closing the outer end of the cylindrical chamber, is arelatively long, light, flexible coil spring 22.

The shorter spring 2| is heavy and strong enough to hold the firing pinback off the cap and retracted within passage I4, against the forwardpropelling force of the lighter, longer and more flexible spring 22,substantially as indicated in the full lines in Fig. 2.

The lighter, more flexible spring 22, however, when contracted forfiring as in Fig. 1, stores enough energy to overcome the unseatingforce of the inner, heavier spring, particularly since the latter isexpanded at the time and hence is able to overcome the heavier springand project the firing pin to the firing position indicated in brokenlines, Fig. 2.

For so energizing the firing spring and cocking the piece, the firingpin is shown as carrying an external head or hammer portion 23 which canbe grasped and pulled out by hand and temporarily secured in suchrelation by a yoke 24 pivoted thereto at 25 and arranged to engage atits inner ends the annular supporting shoulder 26 at the base of thetubular projection l8.

The mechanism may be fired by tripping the yoke from its supportedengagement on shoulder 26, as by means of a lanyard 21 connected withthe inner ends of the yoke, as by a pivoted bail 28.

With the proper relation of opposed firing and retracting springs, thefiring pin when released will be snapped into engagement with the capand instantly retracted and held back in the retracted relation. Toavoid any possibility of over-throw, the firing pin may be formed withan annular stop shoulder 29 for possible engagement with the breechclosing wall l2.

To give the firing spring initial freedom of action and accomplish aquick, immediate rebound of the firing pin, it has been found desirableto construct and arrange the parts as shown in Fig. 1, that is, tocontract the upper coil of the rebound spring'ZI into a groove 30 in thefiring pin so that said spring will be drawn back as the firing pin isretracted, and to make this spring short enough so that it will belifted clear off its seat, substantially as indicated at 3|. The fullstrength of the firing spring is thus available at the instant ofrelease and the impact of the rebound spring on its seat then has theeifect of causing the firing pin to rebound and be held back in theclear, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2.

What is claimed is:

Gun firing mechanism comprising a cartridge holder having a cartridgechamber, a breech piece having a Wall closing said cartridge chamber andprovided with a firing pin passage, 2, seat at the outer end of saidpassage, a firing pin operable in said passage, a relatively long,light, flexible coil spring operable to project said firing pin throughsaid passage, a relatively short, stiff, heavy spring operable whenengaged with said seat to hold said firing pin against the opposition ofsaid lighter spring retracted in said passage and releasable means forwithdrawing said firing pin and tensionin said lighter springsuificiently to enable it to overcome the heavier spring and when saidmeans is released project said firing pin from said passage, saidheavier spring being attached to the firing in and withdrawn therebyclear of said seat, said firing pin having an annular groove and saidheavier spring having a smaller convolution engaged in said groove andwhereby said heavier spring will remain at all times attached to saidfiring pin and thereby be surely withdrawn from engagement with saidseat when said firing pin is withdrawn ready for firing, said means forwithdrawing said firing pin and tensioning the lighter spring includinga yoke pivoted on the firing pin, the breech piece having a shoulderengageable by one end of the yoke for enabling the yoke to hold thefiring pin cocked in firing position with the heavier spring retractedclear of its seat.

ARTHUR HUBALEK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

